[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]It was a joke around The Glass Jug for awhile. “When people would come in,” explains co-owner Katy Creech, “they’d say, ‘Oh, this is cool. You work here? This is your place? So, you like, drink beer?’ … They mean nothing by it, and I’m not easily offended, but it’s been so nice to see that at least here, people have come to realize that I do this for a living. This is my career – I know about it.”
Katy does all the ordering for the south Durham store. She puts together events like tap takeovers and tastings, which happen at least once or twice a week. She hosts a monthly beer club, JUGs (Just Us Gals), which is a way for women who love craft beer to meet one another, taste a few good beers and learn more about different styles. Katy says it’s encouraging to see the involvement of women in craft beer continue to grow.
“If I was going to look at the two biggest changes and transformations,” Katy says, “things I hadn’t really counted on, I would say one would be the true growth of community here and specifically the involvement of women in our community.”
Katy and her husband, Chris, who both learned the art of homebrewing while in college at UNC, toyed with the idea of leaving their respective marketing jobs to start a brewery, as many of the friends they had met through their beer-making hobby had already done. “Ultimately we decided that our little neck of the woods needed a meeting place,” Katy says. “It needed someplace to go and get a beer after work, if you just wanted to hang out somewhere local with people you know and have somewhere close to home to get a six-pack of something really good. This gave us the ability to do both and also to showcase a lot of our friends’ beers.”
What Katy didn’t foresee was how this little Greenwood Commons bottle shop would play an instrumental part in the lives of their neighbors. “It’s become this hub of community,” Katy says. “I just walk around here every day and see so much love. There are people celebrating … growing together, and it’s really cool to be a part of something bigger than myself. … It’s been such a blessing.”
Save the Date!
The Glass Jug’s two-year anniversary party will be held September 17 at 2:00 p.m. They are located at 5410 NC Highway 55 in Durham.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]
Katy’s 4 Must-Try Beers This Fall
Wet-Hopped/Fresh-Hopped beers
“Get your hands on some wet-hopped beers. Beer is typically made with hops that have been dried and pelletized. It would be a logistical nightmare to work with fresh (wet) hops, since you have to get them into the beer within a day or two of harvest. However, the Northern hemisphere hop harvest happens in August … and using fresh hops makes a huge difference in the taste of the beer. You better believe most of what I drink in early fall is fresh-hopped IPA, even though IPAs aren’t one of my favorite year-round styles. For a local example, look for Fullsteam’s Biere De Miel, made entirely with N.C. ingredients.”
Deep River Brewing’s Pumpkin Pie Porter
“Starts with a solid porter base and a nice addition of pumpkin and seasonal spices. It’s very difficult to make a spiced beer that isn’t too bitter and dry in the finish, but Deep River has done a beautiful job.”
Mystery Brewing’s Rosalind
“I’m a sucker for a good Belgian-style Saison. Originally the beverage of farm hands, Saisons are delicate and refreshing. Rosalind, brewed with a hint of rye, is perfect for the warm North Carolina fall weather. Also, keep an eye out for Mystery’s small-batch wild and sour brews. They are some my favorites.”
Olde Hickory Brewery’s Irish Walker Barleywine
“The warm fall days in N.C. can be followed by some pretty chilly nights. I highly recommend wrapping up in a blanket by a bonfire with a glass of this amazing brew. Barleywines are big beers in every way. This one is full bodied with malty and dark-fruit flavors, accompanied by a notable amount of earthy spice coming from the English hops.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
